Two years ago, the Diocese of Jefferson City began the process of developing a new pastoral plan. The diocesan plan presupposed that all the parishes in the diocese adopted their own pastoral plans responding to the key pillars of stewardship, co-responsibility, and parishes as centers of charity and mercy. Once the parish plans were finished, Bishop McKnight then finalized the diocesan plan.
Bishop McKnight has asked the parishes to review their pastoral plan, updating it as necessary in light of changing circumstances, and checking on the progress of implementation. For Mary Immaculate, the pandemic greatly impacted the rollout of our pastoral plan. It was very difficult to achieve the level of collaboration necessary for an effective response. We are now in a better position to address the pastoral goals identified in the plan.
I have worked with the parish council and reviewed the documents that went into the plan that was submitted to the Diocese in the Fall of 2020. Here is a summary of the pastoral plan with a few additions and some rearrangement to adapt to the changes in parish leadership. Previous bulletin articles have examined some of the particulars of the plan, but this chart should help everyone have a better overall picture of what we hope to accomplish in the coming years.